How-to guides · Checked 5 Oct 2026
How to stop paying GoDaddy for an SSL certificate
Most website hosts — Squarespace, Shopify, Wix, Cloudflare, Vercel and Netlify among them — add a free SSL certificate automatically, so a paid GoDaddy certificate usually isn’t needed.
Open your website: the address should start with https:// and show a padlock. (On Squarespace: Domains → click the domain → SSL status should say Issued.)
In GoDaddy, open Renewals and Billing → Manage Subscriptions.
Select the SSL certificate → Cancel Plan → choose a reason → Continue to Cancel → Confirm Cancel.
If you track it in SlopDox, delete the certificate, or mark its charge cancelled.
Good to know
- You can keep using it until the cancellation date, with no more charges.
- Standard certificates are free everywhere: from Let’s Encrypt, and automatically on Cloudflare, Vercel, Netlify and Squarespace.
- GoDaddy refunds yearly plans cancelled within 30 days of the charge — ask their support.
What an SSL certificate costs
| Company | Price |
|---|---|
| GoDaddy Standard (DV) SSL$119.88 the first year. Certificates now last 200 days, so off GoDaddy hosting you re-install it yourself. | $119.99/yr |
| Let’s EncryptRenews itself automatically | Free |
| CloudflareUniversal SSL, automatic | Free |
| VercelAutomatic for every domain you add | Free |
| NetlifyAutomatic, custom domains included | Free |
| SquarespaceCovers domains connected from elsewhere too | Free |
List prices in US dollars, checked 5 Oct 2026.
See it done
- Watch how on YouTube ↗ — current videos for this task
- GoDaddy: cancel a subscription ↗
- Squarespace: SSL certificates ↗
- Cloudflare: free Universal SSL ↗